Chapter 15: Southern Secession (1860-1861)

The Wilmot Proviso banned slavery in all U.S. territories. (T/F)?

FALSE

The Free Soil Party wanted slavery to expand into the West. (T/F)?

FALSE

Gold was discovered in California before the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. (T/F)?

FALSE

The Compromise of 1850 included the Fugitive Slave Act. (T/F)?

TRUE

Zachary Taylor supported the expansion of slavery into new territories. (T/F)?

FALSE

The Fugitive Slave Act was widely supported in Northern states. (T/F)?

FALSE

Uncle Tom Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. (T/F)?

TRUE

Franklin Pierce was a decisive and effective president. (T/F)?

FALSE

The Kansas-Nebraska Act upheld the Missouri Compromise line. (T/F)?

FALSE

Bleeding Kansas involved violent conflict between pro- and anti-slavery settlers. (T/F)?

TRUE

Charles Sumner was assaulted in the Senate chamber. (T/F)?

TRUE

James Buchanan was the first married U.S. president. (T/F)?

FALSE

The Dred Scott decision stated slaves were not U.S. citizens. (T/F)?

TRUE

Lincoln won the 1860 election without carrying a single slave state. (T/F)?

TRUE

South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union. (T/F)?

TRUE

What did the Wilmot Proviso propose?

Ban slavery in former Mexican territories, not Texas

What idea did Lewis Cass support?

Popular sovereignty

Who ran in the 1848 election?

Cass (Democrat) vs. Taylor (Whig)

Who was the Free Soil Party candidate in 1848?

Martin Van Buren

What was found in California in January 1848?

Gold

How many Americans moved to California by the end of 1849?

100,000

What president supported California and New Mexico as free states?

Zachary Taylor

What caused the need for the Compromise of 1850?

Southern threats of secession

Who died in office in 1850 and was succeeded by Fillmore?

Zachary Taylor

Who broke the Compromise of 1850 into separate resolutions?

Stephen Douglas

What act fixed the Texas boundary and paid them $10 million?

Texas-New Mexico Act

What did the Fugitive Slave Act require?

Return of runaway slaves by federal and state authorities

What book fueled the abolitionist movement?

Uncle Tom Cabin

Who wrote Uncle Tom Cabin?

Harriet Beecher Stowe

What 1854 act allowed settlers to decide slavery status in new territories?

Kansas-Nebraska Act

What conflict resulted from Kansas-Nebraska Act?

Bleeding Kansas

What event involved violence in the U.S. Senate?

Brooks assault on Sumner

Who won the 1856 presidential election?

James Buchanan

What did the Dred Scott decision declare?

Slaves were not citizens and couldn’t sue

Who debated in the Illinois Senate race in 1858?

Lincoln and Douglas

What did Lincoln say about the nation and slavery?

It could not endure half slave and half free

Which two states were added as free states before the Civil War?

Minnesota and Oregon

What 1859 event was an attempt at a slave uprising?

John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry

Who were the Democratic candidates in 1860?

Douglas (North), Breckenridge (South)

Who won the 1860 election?

Abraham Lincoln

How many states seceded before Lincoln's inauguration?

Seven

Who was elected president of the Confederate States?

Jefferson Davis

What state was the first to secede?

South Carolina

What was Buchanan response to secession?

Declared it illegal but claimed no authority to stop it

What compromise did Crittenden propose?

Extend slavery under Missouri Compromise line

Why did Lincoln reject the Crittenden Compromise?

It allowed slavery expansion

What was Lincoln's pledge in his Inaugural Address?

Not to interfere with slavery where it existed

What marked the beginning of the Civil War?

Confederate attack on Fort Sumter

What was Lincoln's action on April 4, 1861?

Sent ships to resupply Fort Sumter

What was the primary result of the 1860 presidential election?

Abraham Lincoln won with 39% of the popular vote and 180 Electoral College votes.

Which state was the first to secede from the Union and when?

South Carolina on December 20, 1860.

Why did Southern Democrats reject Stephen Douglas candidacy in 1860?

Because they opposed his support for popular sovereignty.

What was the significance of the Crittenden Compromise?

It was a failed attempt to appease Southern states by extending the Missouri Compromise line and guaranteeing slavery where it already existed.

Who was the first president of the Confederate States of America?

Jefferson Davis.

What constitutional argument did President Buchanan make about secession?

He declared it illegal but claimed he had no constitutional power to stop it.

What triggered the Confederate shelling of Fort Sumter?

Lincoln's decision to resupply Major Robert Anderson at the fort.

What did Lincoln assert in his First Inaugural Address regarding secession?

That the Union was perpetual and no state could legally secede.

What was the purpose of the 1861 Washington Peace Conference?

To find a compromise to preserve the Union, but its proposals ultimately failed.

What Southern states seceded by February 1, 1861?

South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.

What legal structure did the seceded states form?

The Confederate States of America.

What action did secessionists take in the South besides seceding?

They seized federal forts and arsenals.

What was the main reason for Southern secession after Lincoln's election?

Fear that the federal government would abolish slavery.

What major event occurred on April 12, 1861?

The Confederate bombardment of Fort Sumter began.

What was Lincoln's policy on slavery in his inaugural address?

He pledged not to interfere with slavery where it already existed.

Why did the Crittenden Compromise fail in the Senate?

Lincoln opposed it and it was narrowly defeated, 25-23.

How did the Republican Party platform contribute to Southern fears?

It opposed the expansion of slavery into the territories.

What did secessionists believe about the nature of the Union?

That it was a voluntary compact of states which could be dissolved.

How did Lincoln respond to the secession crisis before taking office?

He made no public statements that would inflame tensions.

Why did Buchanan fail to prevent secession?

He believed the Constitution did not grant him authority to coerce states.

What happened when Buchanan attempted to resupply Fort Sumter?

The supply ship was turned back by Confederate forces.

What was the vote count in the Senate on the Crittenden Compromise?

It failed with a vote of 25 against to 23 in favor.

Which party did border state moderates form for the 1860 election?

The Constitutional Union Party.

Who did the Constitutional Union Party nominate for president in 1860?

John Bell.

What impact did the 1860 election have on the Democratic Party?

It split into Northern and Southern factions.

What legislative attempt in 1860 sought to prevent the Civil War?

The Crittenden Compromise.

Why did Lincoln oppose the Crittenden Compromise?

Because it allowed the extension of slavery, which conflicted with Republican principles.

What symbolic action did South Carolina take to assert its independence?

Passed the Ordinance of Secession declaring itself an independent commonwealth.

How did the Confederate Constitution differ from the U.S. Constitution?

It explicitly protected slavery and emphasized states' rights.

What was the public reaction in the North to secession?

Divided, with some supporting compromise and others calling for a firm stand.